Review of Fao Programmes in the Food and Agricultural Sector in the Light of the Outcome of the World Food Summit
and Proposals for the Summary Programme of Work and Budget 1998-99

(i) stressed the need for the Secretariat to ensure the rapid distribution of supporting materials well before meetings of Governing Bodies, including electronically where feasible (para. 6);

(ii) some delegations advocated that a clear delineation between high and low priorities was needed (para. 7);

(iii) several views were expressed on the programme resource level; several members stressed that zero-real or even positive growth would be required to fully meet the challenges of the future; others underlined the need for further efficiency savings and a focus on higher priority programmes and fewer, less fragmented activities to enable a zero-nominal growth; a few members expressed the belief that a reduction from the current budget level would be necessary so that the next budget could be fully financed (para. 8);

(iv) referred to the need for a balance between normative and operational activities and to the synergy between the two (para. 9);

(v) commended the Secretariat for the pilot experiment under Natural Resources aiming to strengthen priority setting and post facto evaluation; noted that the current document lacked, in part, detail on intended beneficiaries or management structure, and requested further elaboration for the full PWB (para. 10);

(vi) stressed that, in the face of large soil losses, greater attention should be given to soil conservation and soil erosion control; underlined the importance of water conservation and management, including control, particularly in areas with irregular rainfall and exposed to frequent drought and to desertification; requested an active participation of FAO in the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification (para. 11);

(vii) further cooperation with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres and the private sector in the field of research should be encouraged (para. 12);

(viii) agreed that priority should be given to the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources; observed that FAO had a contribution to make in the field of biotechnology (para. 13);

(ix) stressed that the disposal of obsolete pesticides was a continuing problem; priority was reaffirmed for both the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) clause of the International Code of Conduct on Distribution and Use of Pesticides and the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests Diseases (EMPRES) (para. 14);

(x) stressed that the programme on farm animal genetic resources should focus on resource conservation through utilization of indigenous breeds; further called for greater integration of activities on production systems and those on farm animal genetic resources (para. 15);

(xi) recognized the importance of institutional support in training, marketing and rural finance (para. 16);

(xii) urged early completion of establishing the FAO/IAEA Training and Reference Centre for Food Quality and Pesticide Control at Seibersdorf (Austria) (para. 17);

(xiii) expressed support for work on nutrition and food quality as a high priority in the forthcoming biennium; similarly emphasized food control and consumer protection and the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (para. 18);

(xiv) supported the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) and proposed that it be comprehensively evaluated in the near future; while supporting the increasing dissemination of information via the Internet, underlined the need to ensure full access to FAO's databases for all users (para. 19);

(xv) stressed that work on commodity and trade analysis, medium-term projections and monitoring of market development should be forward looking and take due consideration of similar commodity-specific activities of other organizations to avoid duplication of work; urged that need for timeliness of information on commodity market analysis and outlook, including the publication Commodity Market Review, also be disseminated through the Internet (para. 20);

(xvi) reiterated its support for the activities of the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) which should continue to be a priority area in the next biennium (para. 22);

(xvii) endorsed the emphasis given to work on Agriculture in Economic Development and suggested that programme linkages with other institutions, such as the World Bank and IFPRI, be enhanced (para. 23);

(xviii) strongly supported the work of FAO on WTO-related activities; attached high priority to policy assistance with the aim of ensuring full participation by developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations scheduled to begin in 1999; recognized the special need for WTO-related assistance to low income and net food importing developing countries (para. 24);

(xix) supported continued work on Global Perspective Studies towards the year 2015, with possible extension to 2030; recommended that this work should continue to be done in cooperation with other international institutions and governments (para. 25);

(xx) welcomed the new combined programme covering Research, Natural Resources Management and Technology Transfer; requested that the linkages and synergies of FAO's work with that of other international organizations should be made clearer in the description of the various programmes and sub-programmes, as well as cross-references between programmes (para. 26);

(xxi) reaffirmed the importance of the Women and Population Programme and, in particular, the Women in Agriculture and Rural Development Sub-programme (para. 27);

(xxii) noted the importance attributed to land reform and land tenure issues in the Rome Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Food Summit and emphasized the need for continuing activities under the Rural Development Programme, that complemented the work done by other institutions; welcomed the new sub-programme dealing directly with partnerships and coalitions in support of food security (para. 28);

(xxiii) many members expressed strong support for the SPFS; some countries requested the Director-General to provide information on all the Regular Programme and extra-budgetary resources that directly contribute to this Programme; the issue of whether the CFS represented a more appropriate forum than the COAG for further consideration of the SPFS was raised (para. 29);

Management of Livestock Resources

(xxiv) recommended that support for the development of livestock resources in developing countries remain a high priority (para. 30);

(xxv) reemphasized support for the systems approach; however, a number of gaps were identified; requested that the issues of small ruminants, small-scale milk production, marketing of animal products, animal health, the role of women in animal production, and the importance of indigenous adapted breeds be included in consideration of livestock resources management at the Fifteenth Session of COAG (para. 31);

(xxvi) advised FAO of the dangers of using global statistics which may obscure the importance of diverse, yet economically and environmentally viable, extensive livestock production systems (para. 32);

(xxvii) highlighted the importance of small-scale mixed-farming systems in many developing countries; urged FAO to give such production systems attention, and to provide technical assistance; expressed concern regarding the environmental consequences associated with capital intensive, industrialized production systems; agreed FAO had an important role in assisting its members to address such issues and that the importance of ruminants, as well as monogastrics, should continue to be recognized (para. 33);

Rural Development with Particular Emphasis on Land Tenure and Off-Farm Income

(xxviii) recommended that further analyses and refinements of the new model of agriculture set down in the background document be carried out; an unambiguous terminology should be used in documents concerning land tenure issues (para. 35);

(xxix) recommended that emphasis be placed on institutional frameworks to stimulate links between farm revenues and sustainable off-farm income; supported the promotion of innovative solutions for enhancing farm and off-farm incomes (para. 36);

(xxx) supported the initiation of analyses and case studies on institutional and policy reforms (para. 37);

(xxxi) in poverty alleviation programmes, stressed the importance for FAO to foster strategic coordination with development and financial institutions; requested FAO to explore decision-making processes at local levels and ways of involving all stakeholders in policy design and implementation (para. 38);

(xxxii) invited FAO to propose rural development programmes in a coordinated fashion from a comprehensive policy point of view (para. 39);

(xxxiii) requested FAO to research ways to adapt local level organizations and local value systems to better compete in market economies (para. 40);

(xxxiv) requested FAO to include further analyses of, and up-to-date information on, investment and off-farm income on the agenda of the next session (para. 41);

(xxxv) recommended that FAO adhere fully to the WFS Plan of Action in implementing rural development strategies (para. 42);

(xxxvi) requested FAO to regularly advise members on these rural development issues in order to assist their monitoring of the implementation of the WFS recommendations (para. 43);

Review of Standards for Plant Quarantine Harmonization

(xxxvii) expressed its satisfaction with the draft guidelines and stressed their importance; amended the texts (Appendix E) and recommended that they be transmitted to the Twenty-ninth Session of the Conference for adoption as International Phytosanitary Standards; noted that the Standards may have to be amended in future to take into account the revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) once it enters into force (para. 44);

Revision of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)

(xxxviii) the Open-ended Working Group reached consensus on almost all of the text of the revised Convention (para. 45);

(xxxix) key issues remaining to be resolved in the text of the Convention included the following: one issue in the preamble and throughout the Convention remained on the words "across national boundaries" or "across borders of protected areas", and the related definition of "protected areas"; and another issue remained on the provision of territorial application (para. 46);

(xl) indicated that the FAO Council would consider the text further, making the appropriate adjustments in FAO's official languages; several countries indicated that FAO should seek resources to guarantee a wide participation from developing countries in future work on revising the IPPC (para. 47);

(xli) recommended that the revised text be submitted to the Twenty-ninth Conference through the Hundred-and-twelfth Council, the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters and the Hundred-and-thirteenth Council (para. 48);

(xlii) requested that FAO provide a report on the financial consequences of the revised Convention (para. 49);

(xliii) considered the need for interim measures, in particular the establishment of an interim Commission by the FAO Conference under Article VI of the Constitution, in view of the long period that may elapse between the adoption of the amendments to the Convention and their coming into force; some members indicated their support for the establishment of such a Commission, while others wished to consider the issue further (para. 50);

Recommendations of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources

(xliv) agreed to advise the Commission that in principle there was a timely need to establish a subsidiary Inter-governmental Technical Working Group for Farm Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Working Group), as provided for in the Commission's statutes (Resolution CL 110/1); agreed that the focus of the future programme of work of the Working Group should be on further elaborating the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (para. 52);

(xlv) different proposals for the composition of the Working Group were suggested but no final agreement was reached (para. 53);

(xlvi) some members stressed the need that the Working Group be established for the limited and defined period necessary to evaluate the Global Strategy; also felt that the Working Group would normally meet once between meetings of the Commission, until it had completed its mandate; some members saw the need for two sessions before the Eighth Session of the Commission in 1999; some members felt that the Commission should recognize current budgetary constraints and cost issues; it was suggested that the Secretariat provide to the Commission a report indicating, in particular, the financial implications of establishing the Working Group (para. 54);

(xlvii) many members stated as unacceptable the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts regarding FAO's exploring the possibility of becoming an implementing agency for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF); other members supported the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts in view of FAO's involvement in agricultural biological diversity; many members recommended that FAO explore partnerships on specific projects with the three present GEF implementing agencies (UNDP, World Bank and UNEP) (para. 55);

Other Business and Date and Place of Next Session

(xlviii) requested the Secretariat to ensure that future operative documents should not only contain a concise review of the issues but also present options and recommendations for the consideration and decision of the Committee (para. 56);

1. The Fourteenth Session (Rome, 7-11 April 1997) was attended by representatives of 99 of the 113 Members of the Committee, and by observers from 4 other Member Nations of FAO. Also participating were observers from 1 United Nations Member State and the Holy See, representatives of 4 United Nations specialized agencies and observers from 16 intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations having status with FAO, and from 3 institutes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. The countries and organizations represented at the session are shown in Appendix B. The full list of participants is available from the COAG Secretariat (Ext. 53738).

2. In opening the session, the outgoing Chairman, Mr. Hans Popp, and the Deputy Director-General, Mr. H.W. Hjort, made statements. The statement made by Mr. H.W. Hjort on behalf of the Director-General is attached as Appendix D.

Election of Officers

3. In accordance with Rule I of its Rules of Procedure, the Committee elected Mr. Christophe Kiemtore (Burkina Faso) as Chairman of the Committee, Mrs. Mária Kadle_íková (Slovakia) as First Vice-Chairperson and Mr. Romárico Arroyo (Mexico) as Second Vice-Chairperson.

4. The Committee appointed the following members to the Drafting Committee: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Paraguay and Zaire. Mr. Ronald L. Rose (Canada) was elected as Chairman of the Drafting Committee.

Adoption of the Agenda and Timetable for the Session

5. The Committee agreed to open Item 7 of the Proposed Agenda (Revision of the International Plant Protection Convention - IPPC) as the first substantive item, and agreed to the immediate establishment of an Intergovernmental Open-ended Working Group on the Revision of the IPPC. The Agenda and Timetable were approved as modified above. The Agenda as adopted is set out in Appendix A and the List of Documents is given in Appendix C.

6. The Committee appreciated the reporting stemming from the joint presentation of selected achievements and medium-term perspectives: it further requested assessment and evaluation of the impact of these achievements. It also noted that the SPWB included tentative estimates of the PWB assessments and other income. The Committee was seriously concerned by the late despatch of some of the COAG documentation for this item and stressed the need for the Secretariat to ensure the rapid distribution of supporting materials well before meetings of Governing Bodies, including electronically where feasible.

7. The Committee noted that increasing budgetary constraints demanded clearer programme prioritization, taking into account the mandate of FAO. It was suggested that the framework for the future definition of priorities included obligations that FAO had incurred from the World Food Summit and other recent international conferences, as well as the criteria approved by the Hundred-and-tenth Session of the FAO Council and specific guidance of FAO Governing Bodies. Some members requested that regional specificity be taken into account in programmes. Some delegations advocated that a clear delineation between high and low priorities was needed.

8. Several views were expressed on the programme resource level. Several members stressed that zero-real or even positive growth would be required to fully meet the challenges of the future. Others underlined the need for further efficiency savings and a focus on higher priority programmes and fewer, less fragmented activities to enable a zero-nominal growth. A few members expressed the belief that a reduction from the current budget level would be necessary so that the next budget could be fully financed. Other members stated that, to the extent that countries paid their assessed contributions, the financial situation of the Organization would significantly improve.

9. The Committee referred to the need for a balance between normative and operational activities and to the synergy between the two. Some members stressed the normative part of FAO's role. However, several delegations noted that developing countries needed support to strengthen their institutional capacity, through operational support, if they were to make good use of the normative outputs of the Organization. Other delegations called for a strengthening of the Technical Cooperation Programme and for additional extra-budgetary resources for the field programme if necessary. In response to a suggestion that TCP be used to assist funding of the Special Programme on Food Security (SPFS), many members emphasized that these two programmes needed to be strengthened and should remain separate.

10. The Committee commended the Secretariat for the pilot experiment under Natural Resources aiming to strengthen priority setting and post facto evaluation. It noted that the current document lacked, in part, detail on intended beneficiaries or management structure, and requested further elaboration for the full PWB(3).

11. The Committee recognized the importance of integrated plant nutrition systems promoting complementary organic and mineral fertilization, shaped according to local circumstances. It also stressed that, in the face of large soil losses, greater attention should be given to soil conservation and soil erosion control. The complementarity between sustainable soil management and crop production was noted. The Committee underlined the importance of water conservation and management, including control, particularly in areas with irregular rainfall and exposed to frequent drought and to desertification. In this respect, several members requested an active participation of FAO in the implementation of the Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification especially in Africa.

12. Stress was placed on the fact that further cooperation with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres and the private sector in the field of research should be encouraged. It was recognized that much remained to be done to improve production of coarse grains, pulses and horticultural crops, related agro-processing and marketing, and reduction of post-harvest losses, noting that substantial increase in production would have to be based on rainfed agriculture.

13. It reiterated its support to the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources and agreed that priority should be given to the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources. The Committee observed that FAO had a contribution to make in the field of biotechnology.

14. While recognizing the results achieved in the area of disposal of obsolete pesticides, the Committee stressed that it was a continuing problem. Priority was reaffirmed for both the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) clause of the International Code of Conduct on Distribution and Use of Pesticides and the Emergency Prevention System for Transboundary Animal and Plant Pests Diseases (EMPRES).

15. The Committee emphasized that development of the livestock sector was instrumental in ensuring food security and noted the complementary work on livestock systems and management of pastures and forage crops. It stressed that the programme on farm animal genetic resources should focus on resource conservation through utilization of indigenous breeds. It further called for greater integration of activities on production systems and those on farm animal genetic resources.

16. The Committee recognized that poverty was a major cause of food insecurity. It noted that several programme components of the Agricultural Support Systems Programme provided essential contributions to world food security. The Committee acknowledged that low productivity and income often stemmed from a lack of investment and poor market outlets. It recognized the importance of institutional support in training, marketing and rural finance.

17. The Committee urged early completion of establishing the FAO/IAEA Training and Reference Centre for Food Quality and Pesticide Control at Seibersdorf (Austria). The Committee welcomed the work done on the use of isotopes and biotechnology in support of EMPRES, consumer protection and reducing post-harvest losses.

18. The Committee expressed support for work on nutrition and food quality as a high priority in the forthcoming biennium. It similarly emphasized food control and consumer protection and the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Efforts to make Codex standards available through the Internet and to strengthen national institutions for promoting consumer protection, were encouraged.

19. The Committee noted the importance of FAO's ongoing work in the field of agricultural statistics. Efforts to strengthen work on supply/utilization accounts, food balance sheets, and investment in agriculture were appreciated. It supported the World Agricultural Information Centre (WAICENT) and proposed that it be comprehensively evaluated in the near future. While supporting the increasing dissemination of information via the Internet, the Committee underlined the need to ensure full access to FAO's databases for all users.

20. The Committee endorsed continuing work on commodity and trade analysis, medium-term projections and monitoring of market development. It stressed that such analyses should be forward looking and take due consideration of similar commodity-specific activities of other organizations to avoid duplication of work. The Committee underlined the need for timeliness of information on commodity market analysis and outlook and urged that such information, including the publication Commodity Market Review, also be disseminated through the Internet.

21. The proposed work on the Food Insecurity and Vulnerability Information and Mapping System (FIVIMS) was recognized. The Committee took note that a workplan for the establishment of FIVIMS would be submitted to the Twenty-third Session of the Committee on Food Security (CFS).

22. The Committee reiterated its support for the activities of the Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) which should continue to be a priority area in the next biennium, giving increased emphasis to non cereal foods and to enhancing its capacity to monitor supply prospects of Low Income Food Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) through crop supply and assessment missions.

23. The Committee endorsed the emphasis given to work on Agriculture in Economic Development and suggested that programme linkages with other institutions, such as the World Bank and IFPRI, be enhanced.

24. The Committee strongly supported the work of FAO on WTO-related activities which, inter alia, aimed at helping countries to implement the Uruguay Round commitments and in building the capacity of developing countries to analyse trade policy options and monitor developments in world agriculture. It attached high priority to policy assistance with the aim of ensuring full participation by developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations scheduled to begin in 1999. The Committee recognized the special need for WTO-related assistance to low income and net food importing developing countries.

25. The Committee supported continued work on Global Perspective Studies towards the year 2015, with possible extension to 2030, in order to address longer-term issues of natural resources, technology and the environment in the context of sustainability. It recommended that this work should continue to be done in cooperation with other international institutions and governments.

26. The Committee welcomed the new combined programme covering Research, Natural Resources Management and Technology Transfer. This consolidation should facilitate comprehensive and more focused contributions to food security and integrated technical support. The Committee encouraged FAO to concentrate its activities on those aspects in these fields in which it possessed comparative advantage in order to improve FAO's interventions and activities. In addition, the Committee was informed of the extensive and increasing collaboration between FAO, organizations of the UN system (in particular with the World Bank), and CGIAR in many matters relating to sustainable development. The Committee requested that the linkages and synergies of FAO's work with that of other international organizations should be made clearer in the description of the various programmes and sub-programmes, as well as cross-references between programmes.

27. Recognizing the crucial role played by women in agriculture throughout the world and their vital contribution to household and national food security, the Committee reaffirmed the importance of the Women and Population Programme and, in particular, the Women in Agriculture and Rural Development Sub-programme. In response to enquiries concerning the appearance that the gender dimension of food security was seemingly confined to one major programme, the Committee was informed of the Plan of Action on Women in Development, an initiative directed at ensuring that gender issues infuse all FAO activities.

28. The Committee noted the importance attributed to land reform and land tenure issues in the Rome Declaration and Plan of Action of the World Food Summit and emphasized the need for continuing activities under the Rural Development Programme, that complemented the work done by other institutions. Members also welcomed the new sub-programme dealing directly with partnerships and coalitions in support of food security, recognizing that the increased involvement of civil society and the private sector was vital for global food security. In supporting the strengthening of this Programme, many members pointed to the importance of poverty alleviation in both the rural development and food security processes.

29. Many members expressed strong support for the SPFS and welcomed progress in its implementation and the benefits reported by several members. They welcomed the involvement of different technical divisions in its implementation, as demonstrated by the numerous cross-references to the SPFS made throughout the Programme proposals for 1998-99. Some countries requested the Director-General to provide information on all the Regular Programme and extra-budgetary resources that directly contribute to this Programme. The issue of whether the CFS represented a more appropriate forum than the COAG for further consideration of the SPFS was raised.

30. The Committee underlined the importance of livestock in food and agriculture and their contribution to rural development, and recommended that support for the development of livestock resources in developing countries remain a high priority for FAO. In particular, the socio-economic attributes of livestock-keeping and its contribution to income generation, food security and economic development were emphasized.

31. The Committee reemphasized the support for the systems approach that had been adopted by FAO for its livestock development programme. However, a number of gaps were identified. These included the importance of small ruminants, small-scale milk production, marketing of animal products, animal health, the role of women in animal production, and the importance of indigenous adapted breeds. The Committee requested that these issues be included in consideration of livestock resources management at the Fifteenth Session of COAG.

32. The Committee noted the documentation of recent trends in animal production. It pointed out that these trends described the global situation and did not necessarily reflect FAO's programme priorities nor the prevailing situation in many specific regions. The Committee advised FAO, when drawing conclusions from such trends, of the dangers of using global statistics which may obscure the importance of diverse, yet economically and environmentally viable, extensive livestock production systems.

33. The Committee recognized that in some situations the trend was towards more specialized and demand-driven production practices. The Committee noted that for many countries, especially the LIFDCs, low input and pasture-based systems would predominate for the foreseeable future. The viability and socioeconomic importance of small-scale mixed-farming systems in many developing countries were highlighted by many delegations. The Committee urged FAO to give such production systems attention, and to provide technical assistance to support livestock production systems prevailing in poor communities. Concern was expressed regarding the environmental consequences associated with capital intensive, industrialized production systems. The Committee agreed that FAO had an important role in assisting its members to address such issues. It also confirmed that FAO's role in promoting increased food production in developing countries should take into account the transition from subsistence to more viable and economically oriented livestock production systems and that the importance of ruminants, as well as monogastrics, should continue to be recognized. In this respect, the importance of human resource development, the development and transfer of appropriate technology, and the collection and dissemination of information were stressed as important functions for FAO to pursue.

34. The Committee noted the two-fold presentation of the background document as well as the fact that it indicated a need for agriculture to adapt to the new global socio-economic contexts. Some members questioned the usefulness of the document. They expressed the view that it did not assist in an adequate discussion of the subject of rural development which had been given an important role by the World Food Summit.

35. The Committee discussed the new model of agriculture set down in the background document. It recommended that further analyses and refinements of this model be carried out. For the sake of consistency and clarity, an unambiguous terminology should be used in documents concerning land tenure issues.

36. The Committee recommended that emphasis should be placed on institutional frameworks to stimulate links between farm revenues and sustainable off-farm income. It therefore supported the promotion of innovative solutions for enhancing farm and off-farm incomes.

37. The Committee supported the initiation of analyses and case studies on institutional and policy reforms, leading to access to productive assets, possibly including measures to enhance the financial environment, i.e. rural savings banks and small-scale credit facilities.

38. In poverty alleviation programmes, the Committee stressed the importance for FAO to foster strategic coordination with development and financial institutions, in which FAO would seek to ensure that food security was achieved. It also requested FAO to explore decision-making processes at local levels and ways of involving all stakeholders in policy design and implementation. In this regard, it indicated that FAO should take into account the local contexts, the types of land tenure management among rural societies, aspects of producers' involvement and the potential of farmers' associations, and ensure that customary tenure mechanisms continue to be considered as proven systems of income generation.

39. The Committee invited FAO to propose rural development programmes in a coordinated fashion from a comprehensive policy point of view, not as a mere food production tool, although productivity and the reinforcement of agricultural services were recognized as key elements for food security.

40. Noting that countries where both commercial and traditional tenure systems coexist might have useful experience on how these systems evolve in a changing socio-economic environment, the Committee requested FAO to research ways to adapt local level organizations and local value systems to better compete in market economies.

41. The Committee expressed some concern that the document under review might give an unrealistic picture of a low-profitability agriculture and that consequently this sector might be neglected in the allocation of investment. On the other hand, off-farm revenues for smallholder farmers might be generated through off-farm activities. However, too much emphasis on off-farm revenue might discourage agricultural production and lead to a further decline of rural communities. As total rural household incomes often include off-farm incomes, the Committee requested FAO to include further analyses of, and up-to-date information on, these issues on the agenda of the next session of COAG.

42. The Committee recommended that FAO adhere fully to the WFS Plan of Action in implementing rural development strategies. In this context, human resource development was considered an essential element, as well as appropriate labour-intensive production technologies and wider participation of small-scale farmers in market-oriented and producers' organizations. Locally based rural development and improved local markets would further ensure food security.

43. The Committee requested FAO to regularly advise members on these rural development issues in order to assist their monitoring of the implementation of the WFS recommendations.

44. The Committee considered two draft phytosanitary standards: "Guidelines for Surveillance" and "Export Certification System". The Committee expressed its satisfaction with the draft guidelines and stressed their importance. It amended the texts (Appendix E) and recommended that they be transmitted to the Twenty-ninth Session of the Conference for adoption as International Phytosanitary Standards. The Committee noted that the Standards may have to be amended in future to take into account the revised text of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) once it enters into force.

45. The Intergovernmental Open-ended Working Group on the revision of the IPPC reviewed the draft Convention that was produced by the Technical Consultation on the Revision of the International Plant Protection Convention which met in January 1997. The Open-ended Working Group reached consensus on almost all of the text of the revised Convention.

46. Key issues remaining to be resolved in the text of the Convention included the following: one issue in the preamble and throughout the Convention remained on the words "across national boundaries" or "across borders of protected areas", and the related definition of "protected areas"; and another issue remained on the provision of territorial application.

47. The Committee indicated that the FAO Council would consider the text further, making the appropriate adjustments in FAO's official languages. A number of countries indicated that an open-ended working group may be required at the Council. A number of developing countries highlighted that their experts had not been able to participate in the Open-ended Working Group and that they would be referring the draft revised text to experts in their capitals prior to its consideration by the Council. Several countries indicated that FAO should seek resources to guarantee a wide participation from developing countries in future work on revising the IPPC.

48. In accordance with the recommendation of the Working Group, the Committee recommended that the revised text be submitted to the Twenty-ninth Conference through the Hundred-and-twelfth Council, the Committee on Constitutional and Legal Matters and the Hundred-and-thirteenth Council.

49. The Committee requested that FAO provide a report on the financial consequences of the revised Convention.

50. In view of the long period that may elapse between the adoption of the amendments to the Convention and their coming into force, the Committee considered the need for interim measures, in particular the establishment of an interim Commission by the FAO Conference under Article VI of the Constitution. Some members indicated their support for the establishment of such a Commission, while others wished to consider the issue further.

51. The Committee reviewed the Report of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources and complimented it on its efforts. The Committee recognized that its deliberations were designed to provide advice to the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Commission), which had responsibility for decisions.

52. In view of the current state of animal genetic resources throughout the world and the importance to sustainable development of all sectors of agricultural biodiversity, the Committee agreed to advise the Commission that in principle there was a timely need to establish a subsidiary Inter-governmental Technical Working Group for Farm Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the Working Group), as provided for in the Commission's statutes (Resolution CL 110/1). The Committee recognized Conference Resolution 3/95 to the effect that creation of the Working Group "will not adversely affect the important processes under way within the Commission ..... for negotiating the revision of the International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources ....."; it was also suggested that the Working Group could report to COAG until these negotiations were over. It was also agreed that the focus of the future programme of work of the Working Group should be on further elaborating the Global Strategy for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources.

53. Different proposals for the composition of the Working Group were suggested but no final agreement was reached.

54. Some members stressed the need that the Working Group be established for the limited and defined period necessary to evaluate the Global Strategy. It was also felt that the Working Group would normally meet once between meetings of the Commission, until it had completed its mandate. Some members, however, saw the need for two sessions before the Eighth Session of the Commission in 1999, with the timing of the first session depending on the availability of funds. Some members of the Committee felt that the Commission should recognize current budgetary constraints and cost issues, while allowing efficient and cost-effective consideration of the broad range of technical matters involved in elaborating the Global Strategy. It was suggested that the Secretariat provide to the Commission a report indicating, in particular, the financial implications of establishing the Working Group.

55. Taking into account the resolutions and decisions by governments at the UN Conference on Environment and Development, many members of the Committee stated as unacceptable the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts regarding FAO's exploring the possibility of becoming an implementing agency for the Global Environmental Facility (GEF). Other members supported the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts in view of FAO's involvement in agricultural biological diversity. Many members recommended that FAO explore partnerships on specific projects with the three present GEF implementing agencies (UNDP, World Bank and UNEP).

56. The Committee requested the Secretariat to ensure that future operative documents should not only contain a concise review of the issues but also present options and recommendations for the consideration and decision of the Committee.

57. While the suggestion was made that further topics for the next agenda could be identified in consultation between the Director-General and the COAG Bureau closer to the time of the next Session, initial proposals from members included topics related to the management of livestock resources, rural development, rainfed agriculture, investment in agriculture and plant nutrition. It was suggested that ways of strengthening the contribution of the Technical Cooperation Programme and the Partnership Programmes to the technical programmes which fall under the mandate of COAG should receive attention by the Committee.

Date and Place of Next Session

58. The Committee noted that, in accordance with Rule XXXII-3 GRO and Rule II of its Rules of Procedure, its Fifteenth Session should be held at FAO Headquarters in Rome. The Director-General, in consultation with the Chairman of the Committee, would propose the exact date, taking into account the overall meeting schedule of the Organization and in the context of the decisions of Governing Bodies regarding governance of the Organization.

World Food Programme
International Atomic Energy Agency
International Fund for Agricultural Development
World Trade Organization

OBSERVERS FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL AND
INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

Associated Country Women of the World
Caritas Internationalis
Cartagena Agreement Board
European Association for Animal Production
International Catholic Rural Association
International Committee for Animal Recording
International Cooperative Alliance
International Council of Women
International Federation for Home Economics

International Federation of Agricultural Producers
International Union of Family Organizations
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
World Association for Animal Production
World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
World Federation of Trade Unions
World Union of Catholic Women's Organizations

INSTITUTES OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH

International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas
International Livestock Research Institute
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute

It is with great pleasure that I welcome the Members and Observers, on behalf of the Director-General, to this Fourteenth Session of the Committee on Agriculture. We have made a special effort to encourage participation by a wider selection of non-governmental interests, on their own or as members of national delegations, in recognition of the fact that the whole of civil society must increasingly work in concert to enable Members to reach their agricultural development and food security goals. I look forward to a substantive contribution from these interests to our debate on the important issues before the Committee.

Mr Chairman, I extend to you my congratulations on your election to this key position, as well as to the two Vice-chairpersons. I am confident that you and your colleagues will guide us through the forthcoming debates and enable the Committee to expedite the completion of many tasks during this week.

As in previous years, this Fourteenth Session of COAG is one of a series of sessions of technical committees held in the spring of Conference years in Rome. It has been preceded by very successful sessions of COFI and COFO and will be followed shortly by the Committee on World Food Security. This sequence and timing is particularly important this year because it marks the first occasion to consider the implications for the Organization of the outcome of the World Food Summit and particularly its Plan of Action. The CFS itself will be discussing in detail the modalities of the Summit follow-up, so COAG need not address this particular issue. But it does need to reflect on how the Major Programmes under the purview of the Committee should be reshaped to enhance progress by Members towards the goals and objectives of the Summit, which they collectively embraced last November.

COAG's views on Major Programmes 2.1, 2.2 and 2.5, which cover 77 percent of the Organization's technical and economic programmes - both in the medium-term and the short term - will provide valuable guidance to the Director-General and to the Programme and Finance Committees, the Council and the Conference in their deliberations on the programme of work and budget for 1998-99 and beyond.

Under Item 3, Review of FAO's Programme of Work in the Food and Agriculture Sector, you will cover three separate but related components: the review of selected achievements under the Regular Programme, then a look forward to the medium-term, where the outcome of the World Food Summit in shaping the Organization's work programme is particularly relevant, and then, in the supplementary document, a preview of the Summary Programme of Work and Budget as it relates to the work of concern to COAG. I shall not go further into the details here as they will be introduced shortly, but I wish to stress the importance of your views on these Programmes, keeping in mind the unfortunate fact that they will be affected disproportionately if financial resources are further reduced.

Mr Chairman, in order to be as brief as possible, I shall turn quickly to reviewing the structure and content of the other items on the agenda before you. In accordance with the Organization's rules on COAG and in accordance with the wishes of its previous sessions, the agenda items are grouped under four major headings: the work programme, livestock, crops and sustainable development. You will recall that the 13th session of COAG agreed to move, on a trial basis, the standing item on nutrition, to the CFS, in order to gather discussions on food security in the wide sense within the purview of the CFS, as well as to lighten what has become an already heavy COAG agenda.

Item 4, Management of Livestock Resources, launches COAG into its main technical discussions. In its past sessions, COAG has stressed the actual and potential contribution of the livestock sector to overall economic and social development. At the same time, livestock production systems are themselves threatened by changing economic, social and environmental forces. The document describes FAO's approach, through the programme of its Animal Production and Health Division, in tackling this major issue of agricultural development, and how this approach may assist member countries in shaping their own policies towards the sector.

The next item moves us into the area of sustainable development and the environment. Here the focus is on the pressures imposed on institutions and societies through change. In this case, there are economic and political as well as demographic changes to be assessed as well as their impacts on rural development through the evolution of land tenure and the generation of off-farm income. The links between land tenure and off-farm employment and other sources of income on one side and between these and land tenure changes and food security on the other, are examined and their implications for FAO's work and country-level development policy discussed.

Concerning crops, there are two extremely important items on the Agenda: a Review of Standards for Plant Quarantine Harmonization, and Revision of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). It is now becoming the tradition to submit to COAG draft standards for its review, seeking its recommendation for adoption by Conference through Council.

With regard to the IPPC Revision, Item 7, I welcome your decision to bring this forward in the agenda to provide time for negotiations to proceed, and wish to underline the importance of seizing this opportunity to negotiate a revised text which may be brought before COAG towards the end of the week. Then, if all goes well, the revised text could be moved forward through Council and Conference before the end of this year.

Under Other Matters, you have before you the Recommendations of the ad hoc Group of Experts on Animal Genetic Resources. These recommendations mark a further step in the broadening of the operational mandate of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture through the establishment of an Animal Genetic Resources Intergovernmental Technical Working Group of the Commission. COAG's consideration of this issue was requested by the 28th session of Conference in November 1995 and also by the 3rd Extraordinary Session of the Commission. Should your review of these recommendations be favourable, this will have considerable implications for the work of the Commission in the coming two years.

I should also remind you that in complying with Rule IV of COAG's Rules of Procedure, the views of the Committee are sought on possible agenda items for the next, 15th session. In the coming days, I invite you to reflect on possible appropriate and focussed topics that may be put forward for consideration in 1999, keeping in mind the pressures to improve the quality of COAG's outputs and to reduce the costs of the main committees and their subsidiary bodies.

Finally, Mr Chairman, I draw the attention of COAG to the two documents prepared by the Secretariat which are not for discussion but for information of the Committee. The first is the Report on Follow-up to Agenda 21 in preparation for the Special Session of the UN General Assembly in June in marking the five year anniversary of the UN Conference on the Environment and Development. The second substantive document provides information on the FAO guide to efficient plant nutrient management.

Mr Chairman, I wish COAG success in its deliberations and underline the importance of this and other technical gatherings in furthering, through international cooperation and dialogue, the objectives of FAO and indeed of the community at large, in the area of food and agriculture. It is through such technical discussions as these that the political objectives of the World Food Summit can be attained.